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FLINT, MI – A rally of more than 400 people took to the
streets in downtown Flint today as concerned citizens met for the Rally for
Religious Freedom at St. Matthew's Catholic Church.

Flint was one of more than 160 cities across the country
that took part Friday at noon in the Stand Up for Religious Freedom rallies,
said Rally Captain Terese Rachor Beste.

Rachor Beste said the rally was
organized so people could show their opposition to the federal Health and Humnan Services Mandate, which they
believe is infringing on their religious freedoms.

The federal rule requires most employers to provide birth control coverage to employees as part of health plans.

"What we did here today was voice our opposition to the HHS
Mandate, which is the mandate put out by the Department of Health and Human
Services that says all institutions including religious organizations have to
pay for contraception, abortion causing drugs and sterilization." Rachor Beste
said. "This is against our deeply held religious beliefs, and basically that's
a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights,
which says that the government shall not infringe upon our religious freedom,
and that's what they're doing."

State Rep. Joseph Graves, R-Argentine Twp., and Judy Climer of Flint Right to
Life also took part in the rally.

A march ended at the front of the Federal Courthouse where people sang God Bless America, holding signs that
read "Stop HHS Mandate" and "Stand Up for Religious Freedom."

Rachor Beste said the goal of the rally was to send a clear
message to the Obama administration.

"We're not going away, we will not comply, and we cannot
comply with something that is an unjust law." Rachor Beste said.

Susan Culver, who helped organize the rally, said the HHS Mandate does not just affect Catholics, but all religions.

"Even though it is the Catholics who are filing against this
HHS Mandate, Protestants were here today because we are also standing with the Catholic
Church. Even though our beliefs may be somewhat different, we all stand
together." Culver said. "We are drawing a line in the sand and we are standing
with our Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ to say 'We will stand with
them in this fight because if we don't stand with them, then who will stand
with us when they come for what Protestants believe.'"

Many at the rally worried the mandate would take away their
religious freedoms. Gloria Zoromski, 69, Burch, said she came to the rally
because the HHS Mandate goes against what her conscience and faith tells her is
the right thing. She said she feels that if she doesn't believe in something,
then she shouldn't be forced to go along with it as a Catholic.

"The mandate is going to force religious organizations to
provide healthcare that includes things that we do not believe in." Zoromski
said. "Being a Catholic, we do not believe in birth control and we do not
believe in abortifacients. It's these major things that we do not believe in
and now they are saying you have to help pay for it and provide it."

Rallies were also held in New York, Chicago,
Detroit, San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Miami.

Amanda covers Swartz Creek and Clayton Township and can
be reached at 810-875-2208 or temery@mlive.com. You can also follow her on
Twitter @AmandaEmeryFJ
or on Facebook.